Spyware or bad driver?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MCM
  • Start date Start date
M

MCM

I'm working on a friends computer: XP Home (SP2) Internet Explorer 6.

Mouse moves or clicks (even on an empty desktop) cause a launch of
iexplore.exe - sometimes triggering a chain reaction of multiple explorer
windows being opened.

Clicking the "X" to close a browser window, only opens another. Alt-F4 is
my only to close the growing number of browsers - and it is tricky. Once a
browser is open, I can't manage to type in a URL as it continually tries to
refresh itself. I did manage to set the homepage to "blank", but the
refreshing occurs every second or so and I can't keep up.

Adaware, Spybot and MS Spyware all have been run - finding some items,
removing them, then showing the system to be clean. ... though the problem
persists.

Any thoughts.

- Mark
 
Hi MCM :-)

Is it a cordless mouse? Try switching to a corded mouse and see if this
helps.

If not...then you may have spyware/malware that can't be detected by the
programs you've run thus far. I addition to what you may have already done,
see the information below:

Courtesy of Frank Saunders -

What You Should Know About Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/devioussoftware.mspx

Help with Hijackware
All MS - MVP Sites.
(http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm)
(http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm)
(http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm)
(http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/Darnit.htm)
(http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm)

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - Windows/Internet Explorer
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other readers.
How to make a good newsgroup post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
 
Thanks for the quick posting. It was, in fact originally using a cordless
mouse. (It's a laptop that has the problem.) One of the things I tried was
to unplug the mouse and strictly use the touchpad. I haven't used the
cordless mouse in the last several hours, however the problem persists with
the touchpad.

One more piece of info - File Explorer, also tries to open in an internet
explorer manner - making it very difficult to navigate around the laptop to
see what else might be going on. I'm using all of the keyboard shortcuts
that I can conjure up at this time. :)

Oh yeah, the problem is there in safe mode also.

Any other thoughts?

- Mark
 
Hi MCM :-)

In view of your latest information, I would say that it is likely that you
may have xome form of spyware/malware on your system: Try the following and
see if it helps:

Courtesy of Frank Saunders -

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

What You Should Know About Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/devioussoftware.mspx

Help with Hijackware
All MS - MVP Sites.
(http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm)
(http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm)
(http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm)
(http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/Darnit.htm)
(http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm)

Hope this helps.

Jan :)
MS MVP - Windows/Internet Explorer
Smiles are meant to be shared,
that's why they're so contagious.

Replies are posted only to the newsgroup for the benefit or other readers.
How to make a good newsgroup post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
 
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